Sultana brand set to be spread across emotional Origin series

By Pat McLeod

On the eve of the most emotion-charged Origin Greyhound Series ever, Michelle Sultana is daring to dream of a family-dominated Blues whitewash.

“Hopefully it might be four-nil,” she says with a playful laugh.

She then added with a far more reverent tone: “Deep down, we are thinking, ‘We have to do this for Terry’.”

On Thursday night at Albion Park, Sultana and partner Darryl Thomas hold two New South Wales Origin aces - Midnight Spritz in the Origin Sprint Final  and Mackenna in the Origin Match Race.

Those two races, and the Origin Distance Final, will decide the winner of the annual Origin series.

However, on Sunday, Michelle’s cousin, Darren Sultana will campaign his champion Shall Not in the Straight of Origin decider at Capalaba.

Hence the family connection and the ‘four-nil’ goal.

Both the Thursday night and Sunday events are awash with emotion surrounding the recent passing of greyhound, and rugby league, celebrity Terry Hill.

Hill was not only the NSW greyhound Origin coach and face of the popular annual series, he also was owner of the past two Straight of Origin winners – Shall Not (2023) and Mr. America (2022).

“Thursday night will be a pretty special night, especially for Darryl (Thomas) and George (Alvaro, owner of Mackenna),” Sultana said.

“Darryl grew up with Terry and George worked with him. There was so much hype before he passed away about coming up here for this event. Terry would always make such a good night of it. They really want to win this for Terry.”

Sultana said both Midnight Spritz and Mackenna were ‘ready’.

“Both the girls are going really well,” she said.

“They have had their hit-outs for the week. They are primed and ready to go. Midnight Spritz hasn’t had a race start up here, but she has had a few looks at the track.

“We have taken it nice and slow with her because we had no intention of putting her in anything else before the Origin. I think she will handle the track fine. She has drawn the three on Thursday night and we are happy with that.

“Zipping Megatron is on the inside of her and normally is slow away. There is a lot of pace on the outside, but I know that you have to work pretty hard to get across.

“Midnight Spritz is ready to go, so I'm very much looking forward to Thursday.”

Sultana said the match race format between Mackenna and Jay Is Jay meant a much kinder box draw for her brilliant chaser.

“We haven't had too much luck with box draws up here so far,” she said.

“That was the main issue for Mackenna (placing fifth in her only start on the track in a heat of the Flying Amy Classic).

“She is a front runner and it was a very hot field. She had to work a little bit harder to try to get across (from box seven) and it just didn't work for her. Her main goal was the Origin, to start her off up here.

“I am happy with box one for her on Thursday night, although it didn't really matter, one or three. She just has to do everything right. We know that Jay Is Jay is brilliant down the back, so it will be a match race until the end. The match race will be very interesting."

Sultana branded Jay Is Jay 'a superstar'.

"We are very good friends with (Jay Is Jay’s trainers) Selena and Mick (Zammit)," she said. 

“There is a little bit of text messaging going backwards and forwards. Just a bit of fun.

“We have known them for a long time. We have stayed with them in the past and if ever we need anything or have a question, they are always there.

“In fact, from a visitor’s point of view this is a great carnival. We can't speak highly enough of the Brisbane club, the staff, the stewards, they have been so helpful with everything, especially trialling, just so accommodating. They do go above and beyond.”

Sultana said she and Darryl bought an eight-acre property at South MacLean, about 50km south of Brisbane, a few years ago, with the aim of eventually moving there from their current base west of Sydney.

They are spending the six-week Brisbane carnival at South MacLean.

“Everything is pretty good here except we thought we were coming up to some warmer weather,” she said.

“We bought the property knowing that the new track (The Q) wasn't going to be too far away from here (about 30 minute's drive). We are still a few years from making the move.”

Sultana said the annual Origin Greyhound Series, which began in 2018, was now front of mind with NSW trainers.

“I think all the trainers in NSW take this event as seriously as Terry (Hill) did,” she said.

“He absolutely loved it, but Terry wasn't just about the Origin, he was passionate about greyhound racing.

"However, wherever he went he would pump up Origin as much as he could. We all know the passion that he had especially for this event and that passion has certainly spread through all of New South Wales. So, Go the Blues.”